EU Again Postpones Implementation of ETIAS

The EU has postponed until mid-2025 the travel registration requirement for nationals of countries who are permitted to travel to Schengen countries without a visa. 

 The European Union Directorate-General for Migration and Home Affairs has again revised the time frame posted on its website as to when the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS) will be operational. The new time frame has changed from summer 2024 to mid-2025.

ETIAS is the new travel registration system for travelers to Europe who possess a passport of a country for which a visa is not required to enter a Schengen country. The system was scheduled to be in place in 2021 but has been delayed several times initially due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Once in effect, U.S. and other travelers to Europe who do not need a visa to visit countries in the Schengen zone will be required to first get approval under the system. The application process is expected to take about 10 minutes and will require applicants to provide their personal background information, a credit card to pay the €7 fee, and an email address to receive a response. If there are no issues with the application or background of the applicant, the system is expected to be able to provide approval within a matter of minutes.

Once approved, the registration is valid for five years. As is currently the policy, travelers will be permitted to spend 90 days in a 180-day period within the Schengen zone. A traveler may enter and leave the zone an unlimited number of times within that period. For periods longer than 180 days, travelers will need to obtain a Schengen visa. There will be an appeal process for those travelers whose applications are denied.

There are 60 countries and territories as well as the United States in which citizens do not need a visa to enter countries comprising the Schengen zone and who will be required to receive approval under ETIAS. 

The establishment of ETIAS will have a direct but likely minimal impact on workforce mobility. For most business travelers, the registration process will be a formality. ETIAS does not change the need for transferees to obtain a work visa, and they should not need to register under ETIAS, as it applies only to individuals waived from needing a visa. However, the consequences for business travelers who fail to register will be significant, as they will be prevented from boarding transportation to a country within the Schengen zone or will be turned back at the point of entry.